Existing document management systems can provide users with the capability to embed, or link, contents from different application programs. In addition, different devices can provide different interfaces that may be more appropriate for manipulating (e.g., editing) certain types of contents embedded in documents. For example, devices having a touch screen display, such as multi-touch devices, can offer a full screen experience with means for direct manipulations (as opposed to proxied manipulations offered by keyboard video mouse (KVM) input means) for drawing or sketching images or figures (e.g., using fingers or a stylus). However, the same devices are less suitable for editing text-based content because text inputs tend to be entered via an on-screen keyboard with little or no tactile feedback.
When a user interacts with a document to edit content that is embedded in the document, the user's attempt to edit the embedded content can launch an appropriate application for editing of the embedded content. Alternatively, the appropriate application can provide editing controls directly within the embedded content in response to the user's attempt. However, the existing document management systems still rely on single host platform (e.g., a device) as an interaction point for various types of the embedded content in a document regardless of whether the single device provide interfaces that are suitable for all of the embedded content.